Tadao Ando – DesignApplause

glaslove: redesigning the course of cancer.

Sep 19, 2016

continuing luminaire’s innovative use of design to raise awareness and funds for cancer research, the groundbreaking love philanthropic series of charity auctions returns for its fourth edition this fall with glaslove. glass, characterized by the duality of its strong yet fragile nature, is a poetically fitting medium that reflects the spirit of those battling the disease. for this special event, highly collectible, one-off, limited-edition, or prototype works created in glass glass were created by distinguished international designers and design manufacturers, including nendo, piero lissoni, marcel wanders, tadao ando, naoto fukasawa, patricia urquiola, fernando and humberto campana, glas italia, lasvit, arcade, and venini, among others.

coinciding with breast cancer awareness month, the objects from glaslove will be exhibited at luminaire lab starting september 19th, culminating in a live auction and gala dinner on thursday, october 6, 2016. phillips, the international auction house, is partnering with luminaire to lead the joint live and online auction taking place september 19 – october 11, 2016 with funds benefiting research at the sylvester comprehensive cancer center at the university of miami’s miller school of medicine. glaslove will reinforce the multiple roles design can play as a problem-solving endeavor. #breastcancerawareness

fuorisalone preview 2. milan design week 2016.

Apr 6, 2016

happenings at the fuorisalone worth checking out:

>> american design company wolf-gordon introduces level / will be previewed in spazio rossana orlandi – space g5 / via matteo bandello 14/16

a collection of eight interior surfacing products created in collaboration with amsterdam-based textile designer, mae engelgeer. the collection, comprising four upholstery, one drapery textile, and three digital print wallcoverings,

wolf-gordon collaborated closely with engelgeer to design a cohesive collection characterized by repetitive geometries of varying scales. engelgeer’s graphic elements and diverse explorations of texture evoke the craftsmanship and authenticity of dutch modernism. engelgeer draws heavily on her knowledge of traditional weaving techniques, interpreting them through a 21st century lens. the resulting collection is a series of patterns that celebrate dynamic equilibrium—asymmetrical yet balanced—clean lines, abstract geometric forms, rich textures, and simple, sophisticated detailing. the palette for level includes a broad range of elegant neutrals and muted hues, many incorporating accents of metallic threads.

mae engelgeer: perhaps because of my background in fashion, i always tend to think in terms of a collection in my design process. the challenge of finding a color combination or a graphic element that can be used in different ways across a collection is very rewarding. the result is a cohesive, contemporary collection that combines sleek, urban 21st century design with a sense of craftsmanship and authenticity.

>> paola c. / via solferino, 11 /// ondina / aldo cibic / steel tray with handles and routine / matteo cibic / glasses and jugs in blown borosilicate

>> bora. i bicchieri singolari by carlo moretti / duvetica showroom – via senato 41/a

the complete history of the “bora” drinking glass on display in the duvetica space designed by tadao ando. its unique and original shape with its curved lines – “as if the bora wind had blown against it” – is a design of carlo and giovanni moretti. a collection of over 130 pieces of the venetian artisan factory realized from 2001 to today in murano crystal. 12 > 22 april 2016

hem presents ice cream social / via varese 12

to celebrate the launch of splatter-painted last stool splatter by british designer max lamb, hem has collaborated with italian gelato maker gelateria rigoletto on four custom gelato flavors inspired by stracciatella gelato – one to match each style stool. tuesday through friday, hem will be hosting ice cream socials with philippe malouin, karoline fesser, max lamb and studio deform. 12 > 15 april

video presentation & report – new national stadium tokyo. zaha hadid architects.

Aug 26, 2015

In November of 2012 Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) is selected from 46 submissions by the jury of architects and experts as the winner of the international completion for a New National Stadium for Japan. The venue is to last the next 50-100 years and that it would host the 2019 Rugby World Cup as its first event, then the Tokyo Olympics-Paralympics if Tokyo was awarded the 2020 Games.

This past July 2015 the National Stadium and ZHA experienced many new announcements, as you might expect, including: The New National Stadium Advisory Committee ministers approving the design and budget of the stadium; Prime Minister Abe announcing his commitment to building the stadium designed by ZHA; The Japanese Government deciding to scrap everything and start over.

The original stadium proposal is both admired and polarizing. The noise generated by architectural notables is worth noting: Tadao Ando, a 1995 Pritzker winner, chairman of the competition selection panel said of the winner: “The entry’s dynamic and futuristic design embodies the messages Japan would like to convey to the rest of the world.” He added: “I believe this stadium will become a shrine for world sport for the next 100 years.”

But there are equally notable detractors, 2013 Pritzker winner Toyo Ito and prominent Japanese architect Arata Isozaki saying it reminded him of a turtle. Another likened the proposal to another kind of animal.

“Why do we need this white elephant?” said Fumihiko Maki, a 1993 Pritzker winner. “Tokyo is not a zoo.”

There was additional noise that the winner of the National Stadium was not from Japan. But the finalists were in fact well-vetted: The Japan Sport Council, owner of the Kasumigaoka National Stadium, selected a total of 11 out of the 46 entries for the international design competition to update and remodel the venue in preparation for Tokyo’s Olympic and Paralympic Bid and the IRB 2019 Rugby World Cup. The 11 finalists were renown offices from Australia (1), France (1), Germany (1), Great britain (2), Japan (4), Netherlands (1), and Turkey (1).

Arguably, a most compelling bad vibe was the estimated 2020 finished product $2 billion price tag, supposedly even after a redesign in 2014 by ZHA.

The Tokyo stadium faces another challenge: It must avoid becoming an economic burden by carving out a life as a sports resource long after closing ceremonies. The most recent example is the London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 London Olympics. On 1 March 2014, the centre was opened to the public. Architect of record: ZHA.

So here we are today in late August 2015, with ZHA submitting a thorough revisiting of the project brief, which correctly asks for an 80,000 seat solution to sit on a tight parcel of urban real estate. The architect affirms the price-tag problem is not the design but the non-competitive bidding process and inflationary economy that is Japan at this point in time.

Admittedly, I had concerns with this concept in this venue at first glance. Will the stadium encroach on the nearby historic Meiji Shrine, built in central Tokyo in the early 20th century to commemorate Emperor Meiji. The arena will occupy part of the shrine’s outer gardens, which preservationists say leaving no breathing space and raising traffic and safety concerns.

above> the original national stadium that hosted the 1964 olympics is the oval in the red plot – seating capacity 55,000. below> the new seating bowl with and w/o roof exoskeleton – seating 80,000.

Let’s consider everyone craving an efficient and smart solution, which in fact may be sitting dead center right in front of them. The concept sketches draw much more attention to the building than what will really be. And the façade where the structure is not only expressed but inhabited. A series of diagonal stairways and elevated walkways are developed into the envelope of the stadium that function as a stadium on event days and other days it’s an extension of the pedestrian landscape of the Gainen area, allowing extended walks and elevated views over Tokyo.

above> a pedestrian landscape of the Gainen area, allowing extended walks and elevated views over Tokyo. below> carving out a life as a destination for many interests, a rock concert for example, long after closing ceremonies.

Hence, the more I understand the proposed solution, understand the considerable change the new speaks to the old, there is much more right than wrong. The proposal is worth another look.

Lest we forget, the brief also asks for a 50-plus-year lifespan at minimum. Who can’t envision the future landscape shift around this building – because of this building. We’ve learned the new and significant speaks to future ambitions.

Official ZHA Statement> [ zha / new national stadium report august 201 ] outline in detail the unique design for the New National Stadium which has been developed over two years to be the most compact and efficient stadium for this very special location in Tokyo. Zaha Hadid Architects welcomes a new contractor bidding process for the New National Stadium to reduce costs and ensure value for money in terms of quality, durability and long-term sustainability.

Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and our Japanese partners, the New National Stadium contains all the knowledge and expertise gained from the team’s direct experience of other Olympic, World Cup and World Championship stadia. The substantial investment in time, effort and resources already made by the Government and people of Japan into the existing team over the past two years ensures the New National Stadium can be completed in time to welcome the world to Japan in 2019 ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and become a new home for sport for many future generations of Japan’s athletes, sportsmen and women.

[ prologue ]
September 2011> Tokyo submits their bid for the 2020 Olympic Games. Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo are later shortlisted.

November 2012> Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) was selected from 46 submissions by the jury of architects and experts as the winner of the international competition for a New National Stadium for Japan to last the next 50-100 years and that would host the 2019 Rugby World Cup as its first event, then the Tokyo Olympics-Paralympics if Tokyo was awarded the 2020 Games.

September 2013> International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Tokyo as the host city of the 2020 Olympic Games.

June 2014> ZHA submits a redesign responding to new budgetary restraints. The modifications include downsizing (the 80,000 seat capacity remained the same), a lower profile and lighter and sustainable materials.

Spring 2015> The old stadium which hosted the 1964 Olympic Games was demolished. (Surveys of the old stadium had found the original 1958 structure in considerable disrepair. Simply to meet current seismic and safety codes would have required an investment of at 100 billion yen alone. Further investment was also required for improvements to the facilities for athletes, spectator sight-lines and amenities, and to increase capacity from 55,000 to 80,000.)

7 July 2015> The New National Stadium Advisory Committee ministers approves the design and budget of the stadium.

10 July 2015> Prime Minister Abe announced his commitment to building the stadium design by ZHA.

17 July 2015> The Japanese Government decides to go back to the start on the New National Stadium.

25 August 2015> ZHA / New National Stadium Report August 2015 is submitted.

[ new national stadium video presentation ] [ zha / new national stadium report august 201 ]

The clark institute expands via tadao ando, selfdorf architects and reed hilderbrand.

Jul 4, 2014

above> visitor center and reflecting pool | image courtesy of tadao ando architect & associates

Fourth of July marked the opening of the much expanded and renovated Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, in western Massachusetts. Originally opened in the Berkshire mountains by Sterling Clark, who feared nuclear attack on New York City would destroy art there, it is officially the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, now rebranded and newly logoed as The Clark.

After 12 years, the museum has completed a $145 million expansion. There are new buildings, including an entrance by Pritzker prize winner Tadao Ando along with a vast water feature and a pavilion by Annabelle Selldorf, who directed the interior renovation of the original 1955 Beaux Arts building and the 1970s addition, now renamed the Manton Research Center by Pietro Belluschi with Architects Collaborative. The vast site, with hills and trails, was designed by Reed Hilderbrand landscape architect and Madeline Burke-Vigeland of Gensler was the supervising architect for the whole project.

visitor center and reflecting pool | image courtesy of tadao ando architect & associates

Ando had already designed a building for the Clark, the Lunder Center at Stone Hill at the edge of its 140 acre site, six years ago. The freestanding research and conservation building with galleries shows off Ando’s brand of zen modernism. It layed off the imprint of plank like wooden forms in the concrete against actual wooden walls opposite them. The new building is more formal and elegant, steel, glass, concrete and granite. Ando is an unabashed devotee of Le Corbusier and the new building even shows the same sorts of dimples left in the concrete from the construction forms that Corbu did.

Here the concrete is joined by a red granite, to pick up on the Seventies building. That stone along with the long walls and reflecting pool suggests another modernist master—Mies and the Barcelona Pavilion with its green marble.

stone hill center | 2008 ©jeff goldberg/esto

One wonders what the long winter of Western Massachusetts will do to the pool, lined with rounded stones that perhaps suggest the shallows of the Hoosic River, power source for the disused nineteenth century factories in the area. One has been converted into MASS MOCA, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, a few miles away.
1,6> images courtesy of the clark institute
2-5> images ©jeff goldberg/esto

[ the clark ] { selldorf architects ] [ reed hilderbrand ]

about phil patton

carsten höller and álvaro siza at vitra.

Jun 25, 2014

above> tower slide | carsten höller | 2013

The Vitra Campus recently launched two new projects for their campus; The Álvaro-Siza-Promenade and the Vitra Slide Tower by Carsten Höller.

The Vitra Slide Tower by Carsten Höller adds a new structure to the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein. With its prominent clock at the top, it is not a building in the classical sense but a viewing tower with a slide – and a work of art that enables a new and unique experience of self and art. The Vitra Slide Tower is 30.7-metre-high. The final solution is noticeably more pragmatic looking than Höller’s body of work and those of other buildings and sculpture on the campus.

‘a slide is a sculptural work with a pragmatic aspect, a sculpture that you can travel inside. however, it would be a mistake to think that you have to use the slide to make sense of it. looking at the work from the outside is a different but equally valid experience, just as one might contemplate the endless column by constantin brancusi from 1938. from an architectural and practical perspective, the slides are one of the building’s means of transporting people, equivalent to the escalators, elevators or stairs. slides deliver people quickly, safely and elegantly to their destinations, they’re inexpensive to construct and energy-efficient. they’re also a device for experiencing an emotional state that is a unique condition somewhere between delight and madness. it was described in the fifties by the french writer roger caillois as ‘a kind of voluptuous panic upon an otherwise lucid mind’.’ – carsten höller

[ the ongoing development of the vitra campus ] The construction of the Vitra Slide Tower is yet another step in the thirty-year development of the Vitra Campus. The production premises were first opened up to the public with the 1984 sculpture Balancing Tools by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. Next came the Vitra Design Museum by Frank Gehry (1989), the Conference Pavilion by Tadao Ando (1993) and the VitraHaus by Herzog & de Meuron (2010), the Prima sculpture by her Fire House (2013). The Vitra Slide Tower and the new Álvaro-Siza-Promenade further open up the grounds to the public and offer visitors a new experience. At the same time, the tower reinforces the topographical reorientation of the Campus.

1 Factory Buildings, Nicholas Grimshaw, 1981; 2 Balancing Tools Claes Oldenburg – Coosje van Bruggen, 1984; 3 Factory Buildings Nicholas Grimshaw, 1986; 4 Gate, Frank Gehry, 1989; 5 Factory Building, Frank Gehry, 1989; 6 Vitra Design Museum, Frank Gehry, 1989; 7 Conference Pavilion by Tadao Ando, 1993; 8 Fire Station, 1993, Prima, 2013 by Zaha Hadid; 9 Factory Building, Alvaro Siza, 1994; 10 Dome, Richard Fuller. 1978-2000; 11 Petrol Station, Jean Prouvé, 1953-2003; 12 Bus Stop, Jasper Morrison, 2006; 13 VitraHaus, Herzog – de Meuron, 2010; 14 Factory Building, SANAA, 2010; 15 Tower Slide, Carsten Höller, 2014; 15 Álvaro Siza Promenade, Álvero Siza, 2014.

a resting area along the promenade

The new Promenade by Alvaro Siza extends and opens up the concept of “A day at Vitra” with a pilgrimage pathway that now directly connects Zaha Hadid’s Fire Station to Herzog & de Meuron’s Vitra Haus building and entrance.The new pathway acts similar to a pilgrimage route with multiple stations, settings and episodes along the way.

The Portuguese architect was a logical choice for the unique walkway as he completed the brick-clad production hall in 1994 and devised the layout of the adjacent parking areas. It’s yet another step in the thirty-year development of the Vitra Campus where visitor’s are invited to tour the museums, flagship store and buildings completed by internationally recognized architects.

2014 pritzker architectural prize: shigeru ban.

Mar 26, 2014

above> shigeru ban | photo richard drew/ap

Japanese architect, Shigeru Ban, a 56-year-old architect born in Tokyo, was named the winner of his profession’s top honor. Ban is the seventh Japanese architect to receive the prize since it was established in 1979, following Kenzo Tange in 1987, Fumihiko Maki in 1993, Tadao Ando in 1995, and the third in the past five years with the team of Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa in 2010, and Toyo Ito last year.

His body of work is diverse, brilliant, a mix of both minimal and complex architecture, art and poetry. Seemingly minimal with conventional architectural materials and complex by structural necessity for his use of exposed wood, plastic and paper. Like all master craftsman, despite the diversity there’s a signature presence. Strikingly, amid all his architectural achievements is his passion for humanity. Quite a combination and frankly needed.

“Receiving this prize is a great honor, and with it, I must be careful,” said Ban, who splits his time between offices in Tokyo, Paris and New York. “I must continue to listen to the people I work for, in my private residential commissions and in my disaster relief work. I see this prize as encouragement for me to keep doing what I am doing – not to change what I am doing, but to grow.”

paper log houses in kobe | 1995 | © Takanobu Sakuma

House Paper Tubes in Kobe, Japan. DIY refugee shelters Ban have proved very popular and effective solution for housing low cost emergency to natural disasters, these have been used in Japan, Vietnam, Turkey, India and China, Haiti, Rwanda and other countries worldwide.

cardboard cathedral | 2011 | stephen goodenough /afp/ getty images

wall-Less house | 1997 | © hiroyuki hirai

above/below > His early residential commissions feel a bit like he became bored and quickly finished projects without walls, windows. Maybe he was the perfect foil for those clients who wanted something different and he solved their problems within a limited budget. Usually a great degree of space and quite utilitarian. His later homes are still very zen-like with more than a dash of sumptuous.

villa vista | 2010 | © hiroyuki hirai

metal shutter house | 2010 | © michael moran

above > Many solutions are changelings, able to morph into one function or another, mostly indoor – outdoor excursions.

above/below > An architect’s home reveals their sensitivities, built in 1997, resides in a forest and the challenge met was no trees were cut down.

[ jury citation 2014 ]
Since its establishment thirty-five years ago, the goal of the Pritzker Architecture Prize is to recognize living architects for excellence in built work and who make a significant and consistent contribution to humanity.

Shigeru Ban, the 2014 laureate, reflects this spirit of the prize to the fullest. He is an outstanding architect who, for twenty years, has been responding with creativity and high quality design to extreme situations caused by devastating natural disasters. His buildings provide shelter, community centers, and spiritual places for those who have suffered tremendous loss and destruction. When tragedy strikes, he is often there from the beginning, as in Rwanda, Turkey, India, China, Italy, and Haiti, and his home country of Japan, among others.

His creative approach and innovation, especially related to building materials and structures, not merely good intentions, are present in all his works. Through excellent design, in response to pressing challenges, Shigeru Ban has expanded the role of the profession; he has made a place at the table for architects to participate in the dialogue with governments and public agencies, philanthropists, and the affected communities. His sense of responsibility and positive action to create architecture of quality to serve society´s needs, combined with his original approach to these humanitarian challenges, make this year´s winner an exemplary professional.

The recipient has an exceptionally wide-ranging career. Since founding his first office in Tokyo in 1985 and later expanding to New York and Paris, he has undertaken projects that range from minimal dwellings, experimental houses and housing, to museums, exhibition pavilions, conference and concert venues, and office buildings.

An underpinning uniting much of his built work is his experimental approach. He has expanded the architectural field regarding not only the problems and challenges he tackles, but also regarding the tools and techniques to deal with them. He is able to see in standard components and common materials, such as paper tubes, packing materials or shipping containers, opportunities to use them in new ways. He is especially known for his structural innovations and the creative use of unconventional materials like bamboo, fabric, paper, and composites of recycled paper fiber and plastics.

In Naked House, he was able to question the traditional notion of rooms and consequently domestic life, and simultaneously create a translucent, almost magical atmosphere. This was done with modest means: walls externally clad in clear corrugated plastic and sections of white acrylic stretched internally across a timber frame. This sophisticated layered composition of ordinary materials used in a natural and efficient way, provides comfort, efficient environmental performance and simultaneously a sensual quality of light.

His own studio, atop a terrace at the Pompidou Center in Paris for the six years he was working on the museum project for Metz, was built using cardboard tubes and a membrane covering the arched roof. He has also used transportation containers as ready-made elements in museum construction. His body of work is proof of his ability to add value through design. Further new conceptual and structural ideas were developed and can be seen in PC Pile House, House of Double Roof, Furniture House, Wall-less House, and Nine-Square Grid House.

Another theme that runs through his work is the spatial continuity between interior and exterior spaces. In Curtain Wall House, he uses tent-like movable curtains to easily link interior and exterior, yet provide privacy when needed. The fourteen-story Nicolas G. Hayek Center in Tokyo is covered with glass shutters on front and back facades that can be fully opened.

For Shigeru Ban, sustainability is not a concept to add on after the fact; rather, it is intrinsic to architecture. His works strive for appropriate products and systems that are in concert with the environment and the specific context, using renewable and locally produced materials, whenever possible. Just one example is his newly opened Tamedia office building in Zurich, which uses an interlocking timber structural system, completely devoid of joint hardware and glue.

His great knowledge of structure and his appreciation for such masters as Mies van der Rohe and Frei Otto have contributed to the development and clarity of his buildings. His own architecture is direct and honest. However, it is never ordinary, and each new project has an inspired freshness about it. The elegant simplicity and apparent effortlessness of his works are really the result of years of practice and a love for building. Above all, his respect for the people who inhabit his buildings, whether victims of natural disaster or private clients or the public, is always revealed through his thoughtful approach, functional plans, carefully selected appropriate materials, and the richness of spaces he creates.

Shigeru Ban is a tireless architect whose work exudes optimism. Where others may see insurmountable challenges, Ban sees a call to action. Where others might take a tested path, he sees the opportunity to innovate. He is a committed teacher who is not only a role model for younger generation, but also an inspiration.

For all these reasons, Shigeru Ban is the 2014 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate.

1> curtain wall house | 1995 | © hiroyuki hirai
2> nine-square grid house | 1997 | © hiroyuki hirai
3> naked house | 2000 | © hiroyuki hirai
4> hannover expo japan pavilion | 2000 | © hiroyuki hirai
5> picture window house | 2002 | © hiroyuki hirai
6> glass shutter house | 2003
7> paper temporary studio atop pompidou center in paris | 2004 | © didier boy de la tour
8> nicolas g hayek center | 2007 | © hiroyuki hirai
9/10> nine bridges golf club | 2010 | © hiroyuki hirai / © jongoh kim 2010
11/12> centre pompidou-metz | 2010 |© F Martin / © james ewing
13> cardboard cathedral | 2013 | © stephen goodenough
14> swatch corporate headquarters | in progress
15> mount fuji world heritage center | in progress

[ shigeru ban architects ]

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